Ex-Yankees coach explains why Freddie Freeman is a challenging opponent for pitchers to face
The Los Angeles Dodgers are one victory away winning the World Series thanks in large part to Freddie Freeman. It may be easy to forget about how incredibly talented the future Hall of Famer is given the fanfare surrounding Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge.
That being said, Freddie Freeman has been playing at an elite level despite the incredible amount of pressure that comes with being in the World Series. The eight-time All-Star has been unstoppable at the plate against the New York Yankees, posting a .333 batting average with three home runs and seven RBIs in three World Series games so far.
While Freeman has always been an elite producer at the dish, former New York Yankees coach Sean Casey credited the first baseman's approach during his at-bats for helping maximize his skills.
"So good, approach and plan on top of the plate. Listen, this is his approach, look middle away and react in," Casey explained on the MLB Network.
Casey broke down the at-bats of the Los Angeles Dodgers superstar during the World Series. Casey highlighted how Freeman will take a pitch outside of the zone given where he is looking to make contact, while also reacting to pitches that are coming inside of the zone. Casey said:
"When you look at Freddie Freeman right now, this is a tough guy to pitch to because he is covering both sides of the plate, which is tough to do."
Clearly, the New York Yankees are feeling the effects of Freeman's approach as he has been a menace batting behind both Shohei Ohtani and Mookie Betts. That superstar-heavy top of the order has been a problem for Aaron Boone to strategize around as intentionally walking either Ohtani or Betts brings up Freeman, who is arguably the hottest player in baseball right now.
Freddie Freeman has had to overcome plenty of adversity to reach this stage of the season
It has not been an easy year for Freddie Freeman, who looks to be a lock to win the World Series MVP at this point. The veteran first baseman had a bit of a down year by his standards, posting his lowest batting average (.282) since 2015. However, he still earned an All-Star selection.
Freeman and his wife Chelsea had concerns to deal with off the field, as their son, Max ,was diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome, forcing the young boy to spend several days in the hospital.
On top of all that, Freddie Freeman has been dealing with an ankle sprain he suffered near the end of the regular season, which has limited his movement. Despite everything, he has so far carried the Los Angeles Dodgers to what could be their eighth World Series title.